The Cringle Family
by Arwen and Eowyn
Summary: Missing scene. Ron explains Santa Claus to a disbelieving Harry and a confused Hermione.


**The Cringle Family**

_By:_ Arwen and Eowyn

_Rating:_ G

_Genre:_ General

_Summary:_ Missing scene from Goblet of Fire. Ron explains Santa Claus to a disbelieving Harry and a confused Hermione.

_A.N.:_ This is our first story with our joint pen name with more to come. We hope you enjoy this Christmas special and Happy Holidays to everyone!

* * *

It was a snowy Christmas Eve that found the Gryffindor common room full of cheerful students happily anticipating the next day. Among them sat Harry, Ron, and Hermione, huddled warmly around the fire. Harry and Ron were speculating yet again about how to get Fred and George back after losing to them in the snowball fight that they had had that morning. 

Hermione was reading some muggle novel, Ron couldn't remember what Hermione said the title was, but he knew it had something to do with a shiny little ring and some furry little dwarf type creatures. Ron kept glancing over at her every so often, trying to get her to say something until he gave up and flat out asked her, "are you going to help us get back at the twins?"

Hermione looked up, this was the fifth time he had asked her that today. Normally she would have gotten angry but, as it was Christmas, she just couldn't bring herself to cut through the merry atmosphere that radiated through the common room. Instead she just said: "Oh, honestly Ron, forget about it will you? It was just a silly snowball fight."

Deciding a change of subject was in order, she continued on.

"What kind of presents do you think you'll wake up to tomorrow?"

Perfect. It was Ron's favorite subject. His ears seemed to perk up as he thought of the delicious treacle fudge his mother would send along with the customary Weasley sweater.

Harry, however, was thinking of something else.

"I've always wondered, how do the presents get to us? I mean, who puts them on our beds?"

"Well, I expect it's the house elves," Hermione said frostily, her distaste for the idea was obvious.

Ron stared at them both in disbelief.

"B-But," he stammered, shocked. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Harry and Hermione asked in unison.

"Father Christmas delivers them, of course." Ron said plainly as though this was the most apparent fact in the world.

Harry started to laugh. "What, does he also have little elves that help him make toys?"

"No, he doesn't make them, he just _delivers_ them." Ron explained. "It's a very old tradition."

"Ron, that's ridiculous! Father Christmas is a muggle story!" Hermione said, grinning.

"If Father Christmas was real," Harry said, still snickering, "he'd be more than 1,000 years old! Not even Dumbledore could live that long!"

"Harry, it's not the same person all those years!" Ron exclaimed. "The duty of Father Christmas is passed down through the Cringle family. They're an old wizarding family who live far to the North of here."

Harry snorted. "So why have I never gotten gifts from Father Christmas when I was at the Dursley's?" Harry said in an unbelieving tone.

Ron sighed with exasperation. "Because Father Christmas is a wizard; he travels by floo powder and muggle houses aren't hooked up to the floo network."

Hermione set her book down carefully. "Ron, you do not have any proof that Father Christmas exists!" she said.

"But I do!" Ron protested. "I've seen him, we all have, all of us who grew up in wizarding households that is. I remember seeing him when I was about five, I think. Every wizarding child is allowed to glimpse Father Christmas once in their life."

"Okay, so where do the reindeer come in, then?" Harry asked sarcastically, still thinking Ron was off his rocker.

"That's how the Cringle's used to get around before floo powder was invented by…what was the name?" he snapped his fingers and looked to Hermione instinctively.

"Ignatia Wildsmith," Hermione answered promptly as though a finally provable fact increased the belief factor of Ron's story. "That must be how the muggle story started then, isn't it? Muggles would have noticed a big red sleigh flying around in the middle of the night every Christmas Eve." Hermione said very matter-of-factly. "Though when floo powder was invented, the tale of the sleigh and reindeer lived on."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Why do you always have to do that?" he asked her.

"Do what?" Hermione said.

"Be the know-it-all, interrupt my explanation, I was teaching _you_ something for once and you just took over…"

Harry decided this was a good indication to leave. He'd rather not listen to his two best friends bicker all night. Besides, he wanted to see if Ron's story had any substance to it anyway.

_fin_


End file.
